Traveler claims letters on your boarding pass means extra TSA checks
A travel expert has gone viral after revealing the meaning behind the dreaded 'SSSS' printed on some boarding passes – a code that can lead to extra TSA screening and major airport delays. Chloe Jade Meltzer (pictured), 30, who has visited over 156 countries, was flying from Germany to New York when she noticed the four letters on her ticket.
It stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection, a designation she says is 'a pain to deal with' and most often applies to flights heading into the United States. 'Basically, it means that you've been flagged for extra security checks before you can board your flight,' she explained. 'This is always related to flying into the United States, and it's usually for international travel.'
Meltzer has traveled to more than 156 countries and admitted she receives tickets with quadruple S' quite often. 'The first few times that you get it it can feel a bit daunting or scary. Especially if you are someone who is not a US citizen and you are about to fly into the United States,' she wrote on TikTok. Metlzer revealed that fliers could get them for many reasons, including inconsistent passports, one-way flights, purchasing a ticket with cash, names matching someone on a watchlist, or completely random. The content creator explained everything that usually happens because of a ticket's 'SSSS' label in a video she posted last April
Meltzer revealed travelers will be pulled aside to the gate before boarding and be taken to 'a little corner.' However, employees usually bring the unlucky ticketholder off to the side. 'You'll get either a pat down, a detailed search of your luggage, or your hands and your bags will be wiped, and they'll be tested for explosives,' Meltzer explained. She continued by saying employees could potentially ask questions such as where they're flying to and how long they've stayed at a destination. The TikToker claimed the process could make fliers feel 'very targeted' but that all these steps would be going on for other people around them with 'SSSS' on their passes. 'I personally don't like this because it takes longer. You can't do this before boarding, they do it exactly at boarding,' she stated.
While Meltzer has expressed disdain toward 'SSSS,' she deals with it, and revealed her one-way flights and passport irregularities might be the reasons why this happens to her often. Multiple TikTok users shared their own memorable experiences as 'SSSS' boarding pass holders. 'I got it when I was 15, didn't even know minors could be selected for it, even the employees at the gate seemed embarrassed and a bit lost,' a commenter wrote. 'I had it for all flights for two years after I studied abroad in Istanbul. First time the gate agent didn't do the boarding pass right and caused me to miss my flight and have to,' another traveler responded. 'The last time I had it happen flying from Rome to JFK every single person who was being screened was a blonde between the ages of 20-40. Hard to believe it was randomized,' a flier claimed.
Fliers have the option to apply for a redress number, an identifier issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to individuals who have experienced difficulties during security screenings at airports or other transportation hubs. 'The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program can provide resolution to travelers with difficulties getting through security and inspection at airport checkpoints, train stations, and when crossing U.S. borders,' the agency shared on its website . This can be applied to domestic and international travelers, and while redress numbers can be used for future bookings, it does not mean the applicant will never see 'SSSS' again.
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